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Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Photoelectron Imaging of Anions Illustrated by 310 Nm Detachment of F−
Published on: July 27, 2018
Fragmentation of metastable SF(6)(-*) ions with microsecond lifetimes in competition with autodetachment
K Graupner1, T A Field, A Mauracher
1Centre for Plasma Physics, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
Abstract:
Fragmentation of metastable SF(6)(-*) ions formed in low energy electron attachment to SF(6) has been investigated. The dissociation reaction SF(6)(-*)-->SF(5) (-)+F has been observed approximately 1.5-3.4 micros and approximately 17-32 micros after electron attachment in a time-of-flight and a double focusing two sector field mass spectrometer, respectively. Metastable dissociation is observed with maximum intensity at approximately 0.3 eV between the SF(6)(-*) peak at zero and the SF(5)(-) peak at approximately 0.4 eV. The kinetic energy released in dissociation is low, with a most probable value of 18 meV. The lifetime of SF(6)(-*) decreases as the electron energy increases, but it is not possible to fit this decrease with statistical Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel/quasiequilibrium theory. Metastable dissociation of SF(6)(-*) appears to compete with autodetachment of the electron at all electron energies.
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